Simulated golf target unit



Q Dec. 14, 1948. RICHARDSON v 2,456,322

SIMULATED GOLF TARGET UNIT Filed Jan. 2, 1947 I v T Invent 5T morshclll LRichordson Attlq-s Patented Dec. 14-, 1948 This invention relates to a game apparatus for use with a rolling object such as a small ball. An ordinary golf ball can conveniently be used together with a putter for propelling it. The game apparatus comprises a plate which is adapted to rest on a horizontal surface such as a floor, table top, lawn, putting green, or the like, the plate being provided with a ramp leading up to a slightly elevated platform which has pockets or shallow depressions into which the ball can roll after it has ascended the ramp. The novelty of the game apparatus consists in the particular arrangement of the pockets and elevated areas relative to the ramp and to one another.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description thereof and to the drawing, of which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

The invention consists of a plate which can be made of any suitable material such as wood, metal, a molded plastic or any other equivalent material, and can be molded in a single piece. As shown, the plate is circular for three quadrants, the fourth quadrant being replaced by a ramp Ill which is arranged tangentially with respect to the rest of the plate. The plate has a peripheral upstanding wall or rail l2 which is arcuate for three quadrants, one end of the arcuate rail extending on as a straight rail M along the outer edge of the ramp H]. The other end of the rail l2 abuts the side of a straight rail l6 which extends along the other side of the ramp [0. The central portion of the plate may be a raised boss as at l8, the rail l6 being preferably tangential to this central boss. In the top of the boss 18 is a central hole 9 to receive a small flag staff. The ramp l slopes upward from the floor level to an arcuate path 28 which is inside of and adjacent to the rail I2 and extends from the end of the ramp I0 around to the rail I6, that is, through three quadrants. The rail l6 stands across the end of the path 20 and serves as a stop against which a ball can rebound. The path is narrower than the ramp but is amply wide enough to receive the ball (not shown) which is to be rolled up the ramp. The path 20 has a slight transverse inclination downward toward the center of the plate, this inclination being just sufficient to cause the ball to roll toward the 3 Claims. (01. 213-32) center of the plate when it has no forward momentum to hold it against therail I2. Between the central boss i8 and the path 20 are a number of pockets or shallow depressions 22, 24, 25. These pockets are separated from one another by radial ridges 28 which may conveniently be on approximately the same level with the path 20 so that the path 28 and ridges 28 may be considered to be parts of a platform having depressions therein.

When a ball is impelled toward the ramp I ll with sufficient momentum to roll up the ramp, it may either fall into the pocket 26 or may roll onto the path 20. Its momentum keeps it on the path as long as it continues to have forward motion. This movement may bring it to the end of the path where it will rebound against the rail [6 and move in the opposite direction along the path 20. If the momentum is sufiicient, it may move all the way back to the ramp Ill and descend the ramp without entering any of the pockets. However, it will ordinarily lose its momentum when opposite one or another of the pockets, whereupon the slight inward slope of the path will cause the ball to roll into the nearest pocket. These pockets may be provided with scorin numbers to indicate a score when the ball enters any one of the pockets.

If desired, the ramp may be given a very slight transverse inclination toward the rail M which would tend to steer the ball to the path 20 and so reduce the chances of the ball entering the first pocket directly.

Various modifications and changes may be made in the details of construction of the apparatus herein shown and described without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A game apparatus consisting of a plate adapted to rest on a floor, said plate having an elevated central boss, a horizonta1 platform in the shape of three quadrants of a circle about said central boss, said platform being above the floor level and having a plurality of depressions therein, a ramp leading from the floor level to the platform level in a tangential direction, and guide rails along the sides of the ramp and the p riphery of the platform.

2. A game apparatus consisting of a circular plate having an upstanding arcuate rail extending along about three quadrants of its periphery, a tangentially extending ramp taking the place of the fourth quadrant, said plate having a path inside of and adjacent to said rail sloping slightly toward the center of the plate, said plate havin a plurality of shallow pockets between said path and center separated by radial ridges, and side rails for said ramp, one of said side rails being a continuation of said arcuate rail, the other side rail having a portion serving as a stop at the end of said path.

3. A game apparatus consisting of a plate adapted to rest on a floor, said plate being circular for three'qiiadrantsand'h'aving a tangentially extendin ramp in place of the fourth quadrant, said plate having an arcuate upstanding rail extending along the periphery of the said three quadrants and extending straight along the outer side of said ramp, a rail along the inner side of the ramp abutted by the 'end of said end of the ramp to said abutted rail, said path" having a slight transverse slope toward the center of the plate, and a series of shallow pockets between the path and the center of the plate separated by radial ridges.

MARSHALL L. RICHARDSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

